Angry in the Great White North

From the Globe and Mail:

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew took his chauffeur [Bruno Labonte] to Europe and South America in 2001 and 2002 at a cost to taxpayers of at least $10,000, even though the driver did not transport the minister during the international visits.

Mr. Labonte, however, accompanied Mr. Pettigrew on two official trips abroad, stating on one of his expense claims that his role was "escorting the minister," according to documents released to The Globe and Mail under the Access to Information Act.

The visits included trips to Lima, Paris and Madrid.

Apparently, this was really a reward:

One aide in a Liberal minister's office said that it was known in party circles that Mr. Pettigrew sometimes likes to rotate foreign trips within his office as a way of thanking his staff.

If I heard that a minister allowed his chauffeur to expense a nice meal, I wouldn't be upset. Part of being the boss is making sure your people do the best job they can. A perk here or there is just part of the cost. But $10,000 on international trips?!

Mr. Labonte, however, accompanied Mr. Pettigrew on two official trips abroad, stating on one of his expense claims that his role was "escorting the minister," according to documents released to The Globe and Mail under the Access to Information Act.

The visits included trips to Lima, Paris and Madrid.

And then lying about it?

Another official in the minister's office explained yesterday that Mr. Labonte was acting in another capacity on the two foreign trips, because he is not only Mr. Pettigrew's chauffeur but also his "personal security adviser." Mr. Labonte has studied to become a policeman, but has never completed the training.

"On the occasions when Bruno has travelled with the minister, he has done so in his role as personal security adviser, providing advice and liaising with local police authorities and officials on the ground," said Jamie Christoff, a spokesman for Mr. Pettigrew. "Bruno's service to the minister on those occasions has been valued and appreciated."

So Labonte is a Mountie working undercover? Even if he is (which he is not), he still wouldn't go on these trips:

However, a check with a number of other federal officials found that ministers sometimes travel in foreign countries with no security whatsoever, or with security provided by local authorities in co-ordination with the Canadian embassy. Officials said ministers do not typically bring their own security personnel.

Here is an example of what this cost:

Overall, the Canadian delegation spent nine nights at hotels in the three European capitals, and Mr. Labonte accumulated $2,641.98 in expenses for lodging and meals. In addition, the cost of Mr. Labonte's plane ticket in business class was $5,602.38.

The second nine-day trip in 2002 took Mr. Labonte, Mr. Pettigrew and other federal officials to Mexico for an APEC meeting and then to Peru for a bilateral visit. Mr. Labonte charged the federal government $1,771.91 for the hotels, meals and expenses in South America. There was no receipt in the documents for Mr. Labonte's airfare.

This isn't just about the money. Pierre Pettigrew can't make it go away just by writing out a cheque for the amount spent by Labonte and reimbursing the government. His office has been dishonest in explaining exactly what he was doing for the minister, as is apparent from the confused and contradictory excuses being provided. That means they know that this looks bad, and that the "honest mistake" defence is not going to fly.

The evasiveness is damaging to the ministry and to the government as a whole. It might not be an Adscam level scandal (but then $10,000 for this chauffeur makes you wonder how many other chauffeurs and secretaries are getting $10,000 perks) but it is another example of the way the government treats the public purse with disdain, handing out our money without regard to the fact that it represents goods and services I am unable to provide for my family.

And I'm talking about diapers and milk. Not trips to Europe.